Head of Engineering - Director of Engineering

About 49North
49North is a Canadian defence company delivering secure, multi‑domain C4ISR capabilities that provide decision advantage in complex and contested environments. A wholly‑owned subsidiary of MDA Space, building on more than five decades of trusted Canadian defence delivery, 49North operates as a sovereign Canadian provider of mission‑critical C4ISR systems, bringing disciplined prime‑contractor execution to defence and security programs.

Visit 49North | An MDA Space Company.
49North is rooted in the execution of large, complex, and mission‑critical programs developed within 49North. This legacy reflects a record of delivery where engineering rigour, operational reliability, and national trust are non‑negotiable.
49North Defence strengthens Canada’s sovereign defence capability by delivering integrated mission systems and multi‑domain C4ISR integration, enabling trusted Canadian and coalition operations, assured interoperability, and sustained readiness.

Job Description

The Director, Engineering is a catalyst leader and change agent for a rapidly growing Canadian defence system integrator. It is expected that the Director will fully participate in business strategy and technology roadmap development, and then continuously align, improve, and modernise engineering practices to drive enhanced business performance, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction.
The Director will lead through a significant period of multiple programme execution, as well as an organisational transition from programme‑based to programme‑product‑based design and development.
The Director will drive the adoption of next‑generation engineering tools, techniques, and procedures optimized for fixed‑price system design, development, integration, test and delivery of complex C4ISR solutions to defence customers. The Director will also lead technical aspects of product definition, development, and launch, together with Product Managers and development teams.
It is essential that the incumbent must be a visionary, capable of charting a course for the technology base of the engineering organisation that not only meets current needs but also anticipates future trends and challenges.
They are dedicated to creating a world‑leading capability that continuously improves.

Responsibilities

• Engineering Process Governance
  • Assumes responsibility for establishing and maintaining functional standards, systems and policies, and ensures compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory rules and standards.
• Engineering Strategy Ownership
  • Work closely with 49North leadership team to understand the company’s business strategy and shape engineering capability and product offerings accordingly.
• Innovation Leadership
  • Define the technology roadmap, lead technology development efforts, and continuously improve our technical solutions in order to meet customer requirements, budget, and schedule. This includes development and ownership of 49North’s Intellectual Property portfolio.
• Bid Solution Governance
  • Lead engineering discussions in bid development and review process to ensure proposed solution and costing aligns with customer priorities, competitive environment needs as well as the programme‑product‑based strategy.
  • Work with Line of Business leaders to ensure (1) proposed solutions are aligned with the product baselines, (2) cost estimation is right, and (3) that we are costing the right things.
• Design‑to‑Cost Leadership
  • Create an environment that challenges bid teams, programme teams and product development teams to continuously engage in design‑to‑cost approach.
  • Encourage teams to perform “Make or Buy” decisions, in order to optimise cost/schedule while developing strategy for in‑house vs. outsource skillset.
• Independent Review Teams
  • The Director of Engineering will chair independent technical, cost and schedule assessments to ensure the optimal technical solution is supported by accurate cost and schedule baselines, together with appropriate risk assessment and mitigation plans.
• Customer Technical Interface
  • Represent 49North’s Engineering capability in customer meetings & business development initiatives.
• Continuous Improvement Leadership
  • Proactively identify engineering process deficiencies, risks, or inefficiencies through data analysis, reviews, and stakeholder feedback.
  • Develop clear, practical recommendations to address gaps, balancing rigor with delivery efficiency.
  • Lead the implementation of process improvements, ensuring changes are well‑communicated, adopted, and sustained.
  • Measure and track the effectiveness of improvements, adjusting approaches as needed.
• Budget and Team Management
  • The Director will create and manage the departmental budget, determine the people needs to execute that budget, and recruit and train that team.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Partner closely with Project Managers to ensure engineering processes support successful programme execution, schedule adherence, and risk management.
  • Work collaboratively with Operations and Quality teams to align engineering governance with operational realities and quality objectives.
  • Influence and engage senior leaders, engineering teams, and cross‑functional stakeholders to build alignment and drive change without direct authority.
• Capability Building & Training
  • Develop and deliver training, guidance, and coaching to engineers and project teams on engineering standards, processes, and best practices.
  • Support onboarding and ongoing capability development to strengthen organisational maturity in engineering governance.

Requirements

• BSc, BEng, or equivalent in an engineering or applied science discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in a safety‑critical or mission‑critical engineering environment (e.g., aerospace, defence, space systems, regulated software or systems engineering).
• Experience with one or more of 49North’s technical domains, such as C4ISR software, defence system integration, uncrewed systems, and/or defence electronics.
• Proven past performance leading multi‑disciplinary engineering teams.
• Demonstrated leadership of engineering culture change management.
• Experience in product‑based, design‑to‑cost environments considered an asset.
• Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Result‑orientated and exhibits excellent critical thinking.
• Works well in a dynamic environment where some of the parameters are unknown and some change regularly.
• Strong knowledge of system and/or software engineering standards, methodologies, and lifecycle practices.

Comments / Special Considerations

Successful candidates must obtain and hold security clearance at the secret level, and pass security assessment for the Controlled Goods Program (CGP).

Benefits Statement

49North provides competitive compensation and benefits packages for its employees at all locations. As a team member of 49North, you and your qualified dependents are eligible to participate in a benefit plan that ensures a comprehensive level of protection through competitive health care including; extended healthcare and flexible drug plans, dental and vision benefits, disability income protection, life insurance, group retirement savings plans; and an employee and family assistance program.

Equal Opportunity Statement

49North is an equal opportunity employer prizing diversity and inclusion. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity. If you require assistance and/or reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please feel free to notify us.

Accommodations

49North is proud to provide accommodation(s) during the recruitment process. Should you require any accommodations, please indicate this on your application/cover letter and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs.

The compensation range for this position is $156,000.00 – $214,500.00 annually. The specific compensation offered will be based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

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